Students given Ritalin instead of fluoride tablets

DERUYTER, N.Y. — A mistake by a school nurse results in the distribution of a prescription drug to a kindergarten class. It happened in the DeRuyter School District this morning.

Superintendent Bruce Sharpe says the nurse for the elementary school mistakenly brought another student’s Ritalin prescription to the kindergarten class instead of fluoride tablets, which students have parental permission to take.

The kindergarten teacher and assistant teacher started dispensing the pills which the kids were chewing. They started complaining of a bad taste, and the teacher immediately told them all to spit it out.

School officials don’t know how much was ingested, but a nurse will be supervising the students all day.

The superintendent says no sicknesses have been reported, and they are informing all parents.